1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the printing and embossing arts and more particularly concerns a method and apparatus for transferring a piece of material removably attached to a carrier means from the carrier means to a sheet means in an operation where the material on the carrier means is brought into contact with the sheet means by means such as a reciprocating die means. The material adheres to the sheet means on contact therewith and its removal from the carrier means is facilitated by blowing air between the carrier means and the sheet means at about the time the reciprocating die means begin to separate from each other. With the sheet means being intermittently fed between the reciprocating dies in a direction opposite to the direction which the carrier means moves past the reciprocating dies the air may be blown in a direction opposite to that of the sheet means. The material carried by the carrier means may be a piece or strip of foil which is effectively cut by the reciprocating die means and transferred from the carrier means to the sheet means. With the carrier means and sheet means moving in opposite directions the burst of air directed to the interface of the oppositely moving members makes possible the rapid and complete separation of the cut foil material from the carrier means and the remainder of the foil.
2. Prior Art
It is known in the prior art to provide for the simulataneous positioning of a material on a substantially continuous web means in juxtaposition to a sheet material between a pair of reciprocating dies whereby the dies move the material on the carrier means into contact with the sheet means and transfer the material from the carrier means to the sheet means. The material carried by the carrier means may be a metallized foil or other material which is used in the manufacture of printed and/or embossed containers or other products. While this process and apparatus for carrying out the process are old and well known in the prior art is has remained a relatively slow and troublesome operation which produces a relatively high volume of rejects or simply will not work.